Conveyer mechanism for wrapping machines and the like



Dec. 9, 1952 J. w. SMITH 2,620,508

CONVEYER MECHANISM FOR WRAPPING. V

MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed May 2, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

I B; EMF' ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1952 M Jlw. SMITH CONVEYER MECHANISM FORWRAPPING MACHINES AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 2, 1947 TORNEYDec. 9, 1952 J. w. SMITH 2,520,608 CONVEYER MECHANISM FOR WRAPPINGMACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed May 2, 1947 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORN EY'INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 9, 195 2 oo VE YER MECHANISM FOR wharpmo John W. Smith,Battle Creek, Mich, assignor to Ba t e Creek Br ad W apping Mach nCornea liattle Creek hee fieatiee May 2, 1947, Serial Na 4 2 9 Gia ie- 1This invention relates to improvements in conveyormechanisms forwrapping machines and thelike. I L

i The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide mechanism for lifting a quantity of articles tob'e'wrappedon a bottom supporting panel vertically from atcontinuouslyadvancing conveyor upwardly "through a Wrapper feed table to 'an upperwrapper and transfer station where the folding and wrapping of thepackage may be completed.

Second, to provide elevator mechanism for transferring a quantity ofarticles from or to a continuously advancing conveyorin which the t i ls o bott m pahelsmavbe e pt hueuel ad an e to a Wra p n statio With uinte mitte t st n an vstar in i he naeha e h eh elew' down th thaeh ae il able t e led he etae eif t p ovid wra ng m hani m b m an of whi h aumh ro le may be aut .matically packaged and. w appe a flat sup.- p tinpane liminat n the ne d for more e pe e si e wal d cant. O he ob e t andad... t stes pertain n to t e d a ls an ec nomies o t e inven ion wil beapparent from the followin descr pti n a d claims.

The drawings, of which there are three sheets, illustrate a preferredform of my elevator mechanism as applied to a machine for wrappingseveral cookies in a package.

Fig. 1 is a, fragmentary vertical longitudinally cross sectional viewthrough the wrapping machine taken-along the broken line l-| in Fig. 3and showing .the elevator in lowered position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational .view partially brokenaway in cross section of the operating cams and linkage for actuating myelevator and illustrating the successive positions of the elevator indotted lines.

Fig; .3 .is a fragmentary plan view, partially broken away, of myelevator mechanism with the wrapper feed-"and folding mechanism removedfrorn'the'top'thereof to' clearly illustrate the elevator andit'srelationshipto the conveyor for advancing the food packages.

In the wrapping of vfoodfarticles, particularly baked goods, it'has beenthe. practice'to' provide a loading conveyor 'havinglaterally andlongitudinally adjustable flights of loading pockets in whicharelplacedibottom panels of-light cardboard forsupporting'theibakedgoodsj'and upon which the baked goods are placedeither auto,- matically or by hand asjthey: come'fromthe a in ovens...The baked goods-and bo tom panels are thenadvanced by the l ad ncanveyor to an elevatin station where m ch n sm is ro ided for liftinthe b ttom: pan l with th aked goods thereon v r i l y u ward throu anopening in a wra per f ed tab e s that th packa e s presse upward yunderneath a pi of wrappi paper: The pack e and wra e are r se u w lthroug an o e ing in a Wr pp g bl n su a fash th the Wra per is foldeddownwardly over the sides of the package and transfer mechanism isprovided a ove the w app n ta l for f ld n thee ds. f the wrapper aboutthe package and transferring the package ofijof the elevator in such'afashion as to fold the bottom of the wrapper across the bottom of thepackage.= In previous machines it has been nec ssary o operate the.loadin po veyor. intermittently so that the pockets will be stopped overthe elevator "position during the time in which the elevator is liftingeach pack- ,ageand returning. to its lowered position. This practice hasbeensatisfactory'when wrapping such articles as bread and cakes of asolid nature but has proved unsatisfactory'when wrapping a series ofcookies in which the cookies are loosely stacked on the bottom panelbecause the intermittent starting and stopping of the loading conveyorresults in'the stacks of cookies being jiggled and toppled from thebottom panel. It'has therefore been necessary to use more expensive sidewalledfboxes for packaging cookies. .By'me'ans of myelevatormeichanismthe loading conveyor may be operated smoothly andcontinuously eliminating thetendency' for the stacks of cookies .to'befltop pledand dislodgedflThis permits the use of inexpensiverlatwbojttom panels to'support the cookies on the loading conveyor.

As illustrated in thedrawings; my Wrapping mach ne is prov dedzivith apair of suitable s am m mbers i w ich support across their top theWrapper feed ta le i2 havin the .aperture'EB 3 formed therein throughwhich the package of cookies is to be raised. The wrapping table isindicated at 4 vertically above the wrapper feed table and is providedwith an elevator opening 5 directly above the opening in the wrapperfeed table. Folding and transferring mechanism is conventionallyillustrated by the dotted lines at 6 for folding the wrapper around thepackage and transferring the package from the elevator.

The ends of the side frame members I carry a motor support I on whichthe driving motor 8 is mounted. The motor is belt connected to a pulleyon the driving shaft 9 journaled in the side frame members and the shaft9 is provided with a pinion H) (see Fig. 3) for driving a gear II on thejack shaft |2. The jack shaft l2 is provided with a bevel gear |3driving a mating bevel gear on the lay shaft |4 journaled in brackets onthe forward side frame member. The lay shaft I4 is provided with asecond bevel gear l5 driving a mating bevel gear on the driven shaft l6which is also journaled in the side frame members and which extendsbeyond each side of the side frame members. The driven shaft I6 isprovided with a sprocket and chain drive to the conveyor shaft I8 fromwhich the loading conveyor chains H! are operated. The loading conveyoris of a. design familiar to the wrapping machine art being provided withinner and outer chains carrying forward pocket members and rear pocketmembers 2| forming flights of loading pockets.

Journaled in the side frame members to the left of the driven shaft l6as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3 is a rock shaft 22 having a bifurcated crankarm 23 secured thereto underneath the center of the loading conveyor.The crank arm 23 is pivotally connected to an upper elevator arm 24 andthe rear end of the rock shaft 22 is provided with a second crank arm 25(see Figs. 2 and 3) carrying a cam roller 26. The cam roller 26 isengaged in and actuated by the cam groove 27 formed on the inside of acam wheel 28 secured to the rear end of the driven shaft l6. (See Figs.2 and 3.)

It will thus be seen that as the driven shaft l6 and cam wheel 28 arerotated by the lay shaft, the loading conveyor will be advanced and thecrank arm 25 will actuate the rock shaft 22 and crank arm 23 tooscillate the elevator arm 24 according to the contour of the cam groove27.

Positioned below the rock shaft 22 and journaled between the forwardside frame members and a bracket 29 secured to the rear side frame is asecond rock shaft 30 having a lower elevator arm 3| secured theretounderneath the upper elevator arm 24. The forward end of the rock shaft30 is provided with a crank arm 32 carrying the cam roller 33 and thecam roller is positioned in a cam groove 34 formed on the inside of asecond cam wheel 35 carried on the forward end of the driven shaft I6.Thus as the upper rock shaft 22 and elevator arm are oscillated aspreviously described the lower rock shaft 36 and elevator arm 3| willsimultaneously be oscillated by movement of the cam roller 33 in the camgroove 34.

The right or free ends of the elevator arms 24 and 3| are pivotallyconnected to an elevator bar 36 having an upwardly extending portion 31to the upper end of which is attached a bracket 38 defining atransversely extending, upwardly opening T slot 39. The T slot isarranged to receive a, mating T block 40 secured to the underside of theflanged elevator table 4|.

As is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 the cam groove 21 in the rearcam wheel 28 is provided with a substantially constant radially advancedportion 42 throughout half of its circumference and connected at itsends to an irregular radially recessed portion 43. Thus as the cam wheel28 and driven shaft l6 are rotated in the direction indicated by thearrow in Fig. 2, the cam roller 26 and crank arm 25 will maintain theupper rock snart 1n the substantially constant position throughout halfof the rotation of the driven shart and will then rapidly advance theupper elevator arm 24 longitudinally in the direction of travel of theloading conveyor l9 and less rapidly return the upper arm to theretracted position shown by the full lines in Fig. 1.

Simultaneously with the motion of the upper elevator arm just described,the cam slot 34 in the forward cam wheel 35 will actuate the cam roller33 from a substantially constant radially advanced portion at 44 througha rapidly retracting portion 45 and advancing portion 46. Motion of thecam roller through this cam groove will rapidly depress the lowerelevator arm 3| while traversing the retracting portion 45 of thegroove. The advancing portion 46 will raise the elevator bar 36 and theconstant portion 44 will hold the elevator in raised position during thefunctioning of the transfer mechanism 6. The recessed portion 43 of thecam groove 21'? is angularly disposed with respect to the retractingportion 45 of the cam groove 34 so as to retract the upper elevator armduring the time when the elevator and lower elevator arm are in loweredposition. This retracts the elevator horizontally to register with thenext succeeding pocket on the loading conveyor. Vertical motion of theelevator bar is thus supplied principally by the lower elevator arm androck shaft while horizontal guiding motion to the upper end of theelevator bar and the elevator is supplied by the upper elevator arm 24.It will be appreciated that the cam contoursillustrated have beendesigned to function in the particular wrapping machine shown having aparticular spacing between the loading conveyor and the wrapping tableand operating through elevator'arms of the particu lar length shown.Obviously cam grooves of different contour could be devised to impartthe desired motion to the elevator bar and elevator where a differentvertical travel of the elevator was desired or where a different lengthof elevator arms was employed. The function of the cam grooves 21 and 34is to direct the motion of the elevator 4| upwardly as shown by thearrows in Fig. 2 through an initial position of the loading pocketillustrated by dotted lines at 41 and to return the elevator to itslowered position in time to pass through a final position of the loadingpocket illustrated at 48 as the loading conveyor is continuouslyadvanced.

It should be understood that While I have described my elevatormechanism in connection with a cookie or food wrapping machine, I do notintend to so limit its use within the terms of my claims. The elevatormechanism is equally effective for the Wrapping of various types ofarticles and eliminates the objectionable starting and stopping of theloading conveyor which causes vibration and mechanical trouble in theconveyor and its associated machinery. Another advantage of my elevatoris that it eliminates sliding parts which may become sticky and jammedfrom particles falling from the objects being loaded, The'elevator mayfurther be -s ems used to trafnsfer articlestdor from: acontinuouslymoving; conveyor in an citcumstancebesides a wrapping-operation where,such a, transfer is desirable. g i i I have thus illustrated anddescribed a highly practical-commercial embodiment of my elevatormechanism and have not attempted to illustrate other modified formsthereofz'as it is believed that such minor changes asv are necessary toadapt the mechanism to specialized. circumstances will readily beunderstood by persons skilled in the wrapping machin'e art.

Having thus described my: invention, what I claim: as, new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent-is: v

1; In combination with a,wrappingmachine having aconveyor with Work;advancing flights thereon and wrapping mechanism positioned above:saidconveyor, said conveyor having; its working: reach disposedgenerally horizontally, said flights having openings iirthe bottomsthereof, elevator mechanism for lifting articles-carried by successiveflights of said-conveyor to said wrapping mechanism comprising, agenerally vertical elevator bar having an elevator plate thereon smallerthan said" openings and adapted to bepassed through saidifiights, alower elevator arm having-one end pivotally connected. to said bar, anupper elevator arm having one end pivotally connected to said bar at apoint spaced from said first arm, a lower rock shaft secured to theother end of said lower arm, an upper rock shaft having a crank armthereon, said crank arm being pivotally connected to the other end ofsaid upper elevator arm, a cam shaft having a pair of rotary camsthereon, an actuating arm secured to said lower rock shaft andengageable with one of said cams to actuate said lower rock shaft toraise and lower said bar, another actuator arm secured to said upperrock shaft and engageable with the other of said cams to actuate saidupper elevator arm to advance and retract said elevator bar means forcontinuously driving said conveyor, and means for driving said cam shaftin timed relation to the speed of the continuously driven conveyor.

2. In combination with a wrapping machine having a conveyor with Workadvancing flights and wrapping mechanism positioned above said conveyor,said conveyor having its Working reach disposed generally horizontally,said flights having openings in the bottoms thereof, elevator mechanismfor lifting successive articles from said conveyor flights to saidwrapping mechanism comprising, a generally vertical elevator bar havingan elevator plate thereon smaller than said openings and adapted to bepassed through said flights, a first elevator arm having one endpivotally connected to said bar, a second elevator arm having one endpivotally connected to said bar at a point spaced from said first arm, afirst rock shaft secured to the other end of said first arm, a secondrock shaft having a crank arm thereon, said crank arm being pivotallyconnected to the other end of said second elevator arm, a cam shafthaving a pair of rotary cams thereon, an actuating arm secured to saidfirst rock shaft and engageable with one of said cams to actuate saidfirst rock shaft to raise and lower said bar, another actuator armsecured to said second rock shaft and engageable with the other of saidcams to actuate said second elevator arm to advance and retract saidelevator bar means for continuously driving said conveyor, and means fordriving said cam shaft in timedrelation to-the speed. of thecontinuously driven conveyor.

l3; In combination with a. wrapping: machine having a conveyor andwrapping mechanism positloned thereabove, said conveyor having. aseri'es of open bottom article holding pockets positionedl 'therealong,mechanism for transferring articles from. said conveyor to said wrapping'mechanism com-prising,v a driven shaftarranged tofdrive said conveyorcontinuous?- ly, a pair of, cam. wheels carried on the ends ofsaiddriyenshaft: an'd-eachdefining a cam groove, said grooves being of.differentcontour, an upper rock shaft having a crank arm thereon with aroller arrangedto beactuated by one, ofisaid cam grooves, asecond crankarmonsaid upper rock shaft positioned. underneath said conveyor, anupper elevator arm. pivotally. connected to said second, crank arm,fa,second rock shaft positioned below said. firstrock shaft,,a third crankarm on said second rock. shaft and having a cam roller arranged to beactuated by the other of said cam grooves, a lower elevator arm securedto said second? rock shaft, an elevator bar pivotally connected totheends of said elevator armsatpoints spaced along said, bar, said. barextending up wardly above said upper elevator arm, and an elevatormember. carried on. the. upper endof said elevator, bar, said. camgroovesbeing, arranged to actuate said elevatorbar to move said elevatorupwardly through a pocket of said conveyor to a delivery position atsaid wrapping mechanism and downwardly through said pocket to a loweredposition of said elevator while said pocket is continuously advancingand retract said elevator to a starting position under a succeedingpocket on said conveyor.

4. In combination with a Wrapping machine having a conveyor and wrappingmechanism positioned thereabove, said conveyor having a series of openbottom article holding pockets positioned therealong, mechanism fortransferring articles from said conveyor to said wrapping mechanismcomprising, a cam shaft, a pair of cam members carried on said drivenshaft and each defining a cam groove, a first rock shaft having a crankarm thereon with a follower arranged in one of said cam grooves, asecond crank arm on said first rock shaft positioned underneath saidconveyor, a first elevator arm pivotally connected to said second crankarm, a second rock shaft, a third crank arm on said second rock shaftand having a cam follower arranged in the other of said cam grooves, asecond elevator arm secured to said second rock shaft, an elevator barpivotally connected to the ends of said elevator arms at points spacedalong said bar, said bar extending upwardly above said elevator arms,and an elevator member carried on the upper end of said elevator bar,said cam grooves being arranged to actuate said elevator bar to liftsaid elevator upwardly through a pocket of said conveyor to saidwrapping mechanism and downwardly through said pocket to a retractedposition of said elevator while said pocket is continuously advancing,means for continuously driving said conveyor, and means for driving saidcam shaft in timed relation to the speed of the continuously drivenconveyor.

5. In combination with a wrapping machine having a loading conveyor andwrapping mechanism positioned thereabove, said conveyor having a seriesof open bottom article holding pockets positioned therealong, mechanismfor transferring articles from said conveyor to said wrapping mechanismcomprising, upper and lower elevator arms, an elevator bar pivotallyconnected to said elevator arms, a rock shaft secured to one end of oneof said arms for imparting oscillating rotary motion thereto, a secondrock shaft having a crank thereon pivotally connected to the other ofsaid arms for imparting oscillating motion thereto parallel to saidconveyor, means for continuously driving said conveyor, and cam membersdriven in timed relationship to said loading conveyor for actuating saidrock shafts to raise and lower said elevator bar through each pocket ofsaid loading conveyor as said conveyor is advanced.

6. In a wrapping machine, the combination with wrapping means, of a feedconveyor disposed in a plane below the wrapping meansand having aplurality of uniformly spaced article holders having openings for thepassage of an elevator therethrough, an elevator for transferringarticles to be Wrapped from said feed conveyor to said wrapping means,means for vertically reciprocating said elevator through said openingsfrom a point below the feed conveyor to delivery position relative tosaid wrapping means, means for continuously driving said conveyor, andmeans for simultaneously horizontally reciprocating said elevator in thevertical plane of the path of travel of said feed conveyor synchronizedwith the travel thereof and with the vertical reciprocation of saidelevator whereby the elevator successively passes through the articleholders t transfer articles therefrom to said wrapping means.

JOHN W. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th( file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,330,639 Leumann Feb. 10, 19241,636,429 Olson July 19, 192' 1,726,418 Aldrich et a1. Aug. 27, 19251,979,207 Milmore Oct. 30, 1934 2,208,776 Sandberg July 23, 194(2,243,633 Jones May 27, 1941 2,304,399 Clark Dec. 8, 1942 2,339,866 LyonJan. 25, 194. 2,407,313 Malhiot Sept. 10, 194( 2,553,871 Sandberg May22, 1951 2,567,405 Sandberg Sept. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 374,75 Great Britain June 16, 1932

